CONCRETE ACID STAIN

How does acid stain color concrete?

Concrete acid stain is a great way to add color to new and old concrete floors. It's not a paint or a coating,
it's a process involving a chemical reaction between the acid stain and the cementitious materials in the concrete.
Acid stained concrete will give you a mottled, marble like, variegated look. If you're looking for an even, solid color then concrete epoxy floor paint will give you that look.

Acid stained concrete floor in finished basement

The color variations of acid stains from slab to slab will be different. You may even have different color patterns
on the same concrete floor.

These variations in color and mottling are what make acid staining concrete so unique and special.

How it works:

Acid stains are made from hydrochloric acid, wetting agents and metallic ions. When this solution is placed on
the concrete it colors the concrete by chemically combining the metallic ions with particles in the concrete
to form oxides. The result of this reaction is color.

Now the acid is not the ingredient that colors the concrete. It's
the metallic salts in an acidic,
water based solution that react with hydrated lime in hardened concrete
to produce insoluble, colored compounds that become a permanent part of
the
concrete.

There are many different manufactures of acid stains and most produce these basic colors:

In general, cements that produce larger amounts of calcium hydroxide
during hydration will show more stain color, and higher cement contents
produce more intense colors.

If they are near the surface, calcium-based aggregates, such as
lime-stone, take stain readily and deepen the color of the concrete
above them. Solid aggregates, such as gravel, don't react with the
stain.

Acid stains can be applied to older existing concrete floors if they
are in good shape. If the surface is worn or deteriorated click on
MICROTOPPINGS AND SKIM COATS to see how they can provide a new steel troweled surface that can be stained.